Hi Everyone

Here’s this month’s Gone Fishin’ Newsletter.

Every month a team from our fellowship at Calvary Wellington heads out to our regular fishing hole, the Naenae Market and Hillary Court shops. There we share the Gospel to those in our immediate community. 

Once a month I publish a simple newsletter that is distributed to the fellowship (or for anyone else who stumbles across this website), as a way of encouragement, and as a tool to equip us to be better evangelists.

Enjoy!

Gone Fishin’ Monthly Newsletter – December 2021

”And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1:21)

 Hi Everyone

 Yes, it’s the end of the year again! In some ways, it has flown by. Yet in some ways, it has felt like it would never end.

 It’s so comforting to know that we serve a God that lives outside of time; that regardless of the date, season, or year, He has never changed (and never will), and he has never stopped loving and caring for our needs (and never will)!

We all know the story of Christmas, and why Jesus came. But to the average person on the street, it ranks alongside a Hollywood B movie plot in terms of relevance and meaning. So, how do we get the meaning across in less-cheesy way?

 Let’s learn via the conception of the new-born, the calling of the new-born, and the commitment of the new-born.

The Conception of the new-born

“And she will bring forth a Son…”

This may sound just like just another childbirth to the average person on the street. So what if some girl got herself pregnant and had a baby?

This is no ordinary conception.

Her fiancé never laid a hand on her. If this happened today, a simple DNA test would have proved Joseph’s innocence. But there was no proof or dis-proof of fatherhood, just a plea of innocence, and a promise from God.

God chose another way to come to earth. A child conceived normally by an earthly mother and father would not have cut it, for the child would have inherited Adam’s sin nature, just like every other child born. Rather, conception would need to come via God Himself, by way of His Holy Spirit. That way, the promised seed would be pure from sin, fully God, yet fully man at the same time.

Why this is important will come to light later.

The Calling of the new-born

“…and you shall call His name Jesus…”

 This may sound like just another name to the average person on the street. So what if some father decided to call his son Jesus?

This is no ordinary name.

If I looked in the Mexican phone book, I would probably find tens of thousands of listings for the name ‘Jesus’, but I doubt anyone of them would lay claim to world greatness (outside their parent’s wish for them, of course).

God chose the name Jesus, because of its’ special meaning. The Jewish root for this word is ‘Yeshua’, which literally means ‘salvation’. There were people in the Old Testament that had names that were derivatives of the word Jesus, and were types of Christ. For example, Joshua led the Jews through the Jordan into the Promised Land. You could say he brought them yeshua from the Egyptians.

So now we know what the name of the Son of God means, but what will He save us from?

The Commitment of the new-born

“…for He will save His people from their sins”

 This may sound like a fairy tale to the average person on the street. So what if some guy ticked off the Romans, and ended up paying the ultimate price?

This is no ordinary death.

In order for the Jews to be cleansed of their sins, the high priest would make a once-annual offering in their place. But this didn’t remove their sins, it just temporarily covered them. To perfectly rid the sin, a perfect sacrifice would need to be made. And what more perfect way to make a perfect sacrifice, than with the perfect Son of God! He lived a perfect life, and gave Himself up as a living sacrifice for us. Everyone who repents (turns away) from their sins , and places their faith in Christ and His one-time perfect sacrifice on their behalf – will receive yeshua from their sins.

 This is the reason we spread the Good News – so that all might come to embrace the one who came to earth as a lowly babe, but offered us yeshua from sin and death!

 I’ll see you at the Naenae shops on Saturday morning for tract & sausage distribution, as well as Gospel sharing!

Blessings

 Craig

 Witnessing Tip: Famous Last Words

The next conversation someone has with you might be their last.

You don’t know if you will ever see that person again.

That’s why it’s important to stress repentance and salvation, every chance we get!